The present invention involves gathering device identification (ID) and configuration information from a device within the world-wide web (Internet). More particularly, it concerns a standardized physical interface and protocol for gathering, recording and using such information.
The identity (e.g. hostname, Internet protocol (IP) address, Medium Access Control (MAC) address, Common Language Location Identifier (CLLI) code, etc.) and configuration of any given device can change at any given point in time. Generally this information is available through some sort of network connection or console interface. The problem is that different types of devices require different commands in order to retrieve this information.